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T\u00e1naiste Leo Varadkar has said he hopes pubs that do not serve food can reopen for business on August 10th, but there are no guarantees.<\/p>\nT\u00e1naiste Leo Varadkar has said he hopes pubs that do not serve food can reopen for business on August 10th, but there are no guarantees.<\/p>\n
Pub lobby groups have called on the Government to release guidelines that will allow them to reopen safely, after their previous reopening date was delayed due to an increase in coronavirus cases earlier this month.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar told the D\u00e1il he could not guarantee that the Cabinet will allow pubs to reopen as it will depend on what the National Public Health Emergency Team advise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to see pubs and bars open as well on August 10th.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s possible for them to do so within the public health guidelines, and I hope we\u2019ll be able to make that decision in the affirmative next Tuesday, allowing them to open on August 10th, but I can\u2019t guarantee that at this stage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI totally agree that pubs offer a huge amount of employment around the country, and also are really important to our social fabric, not just in rural areas, but in urban areas too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Hospitality group F\u00e1ilte Ireland is expected to publish reopening guidelines for pubs in the coming days.<\/p>\n
Mr Varadkar said he hopes NPHET\u2019s advice will allow pubs to reopen but it will depend on the number of cases of Covid-19.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope it\u2019s a positive decision, but I can\u2019t make that commitment right now,\u201d he cautioned.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the Vintners Federation of Ireland confirmed that 2,450 jobs have been permanently lost in Dublin due to closure of pubs because of the pandemic.<\/p>\n
The VFI said that it is important to the future of businesses that the remaining pubs who don’t serve food are allowed to reopen in August.<\/p>\n